Salvador, Brazil

Salvador (São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints)) is the capital of Bahia state in Brazil. Situated on a peninsula on the eastern coast it is a major export port and the heart of the Recôncavo Baiano area. Its population is 2.54 million (2002, 2.08 million in 1991), making it the third largest city in Brazil.

The settlement was founded in 1549 by Thomé de Souza and was commonly known as Bahia. It quickly became the main Brazilian port and first capital, a centre of the sugar industry and therefore the slave trade. By 1583 there were 1600 people in residence. Except for a short period under Dutch control (May 1624 - April 1625) the city remained in Portuguese hands until the 1760s. It was capital until 1763 when it was succeeded by Rio de Janeiro. The city became a base for the independence movement and was attacked by federal troops in 1812 before being officially liberated on July 2, 1823.

The city still contains many colonial buildings but it has become more famous due to the strong influence of African culture on the city. It is the center of Yoruba Candomblé[?] and the martial dance art of capoeira, and has so many churches (over 300 including the 16th century cathedral) it has been dubbed the 'Black Rome'. The African influence extends beyond religion to cover food, music (from the spiritually influenced afoxé and the community-based blocos afros to more popular axé and samba), and a dynamic cultural life. The city has several universities.